Calvados and Apple Brandy Spirits | Cellar.com (view all) Calvados and Apple Brandy Named after the department in France where it’s made, Calvados is responsible for some of the World’s finest apple brandy. Like Cognac, there are several grades that reflect different levels of age and quality. Fine or Trois Pommes is aged for a minimum of two years, Vieux or Reserve is aged for at least three years, while Vieille Reserve or VSOP is aged for four years, and XO or Hors d’Age is aged for at least six years but generally for much longer. Vintage Calvados is also made in the finest years and will have some the greatest ageing potential. Young Calvados should have fresh and crisp fruit however as Calvados ages it gains more depth and concentration, developing notes of baked apple and stone fruit, as well as a nutty, caramel component.

Filters: Calvados Review: Daron Calvados - Cidersage Cidersage Calvados Review: Daron Calvados Posted on 24 December, 2013 by cidersage in Calvados , Reviews | 0 Comments Hello again, and apologies for the delay since last time. But, you see, I’ve been busy plotting. Plotting the planting of a small cider apple orchard, that is. More on that later. For now, though, let’s venture into an arena that I have little experience in (apologies in advance…)–Calvados. (Optional soundtrack for this week’s review–“Albert Goes West” and “Midnight Man” by Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds. Check it out…’dirty old man rock’ at its finest.) Calvados is apple brandy as distilled from a hard cider base in the département (what we in the U.S. would call a state) of Calvados in the Normandy region of France.

I’ve never been much a spirits fan–due mostly to the high-octane burn of the alcohol content and some bad memories of my 15 year old self getting blasted on Tequila and having a visceral reaction to the smell of it ever since. But enough about me. Calvados the département, as laid out in detail by Charles Neal in his epic tome Calvados: The Spirit of Normandy, may or may not (though very probably not) have been named after a Spanish ship called either the El Salvador or San Salvador that landed in Normandy in 1588 with a hold containing Spanish apple brandy and whose name was later corrupted into Calvados, after which the region was eventually named. Apocryphal though that story likely is–in all likelihood the region is really named after the bands of land lacking vegetation (calva dorsa, or bald backs) on the Northern coast which sailors used for navigation–the apple (and sometimes pear) spirit that carries the region’s name is no less legendary. The Norman region is a great apple-growing region, and is home to both small-scale, family-run cideries and Calvados producers as well as much larger-scale operations.

I came across Daron Calvados at the Boulder Wine Merchant , which is from the latter category–it’s a blend of various sources of Calvados from the Pays D’Auge region of Normandy (one of three major appellation regions for Calvados). Neal describes the particular purveyor of Calvados that Daron represents as a Negoçiant–namely, an organization that buys Calvados from various sources (e.g., small farms), continues the aging process (maybe), and markets the finished product. It is an aggregation operation, and as such there is no way to trace the origin or identify the specific process around the product as many separately-produced Calvados sources went into the blend. Be that as it may, this is better Calvados than the few I’ve had in the states so far. One look at it compared to the cheap variety I had at home for cooking– Calvados Coquerel –showed a clear difference–Daron was much darker, with caramel hues.

The taste profile is a similar story–while in both cases the 40% alcohol content is intense and lingering, with Daron there is a fullness and body which is far more smooth and which significantly reduces the harshness inherent in the high alcohol content. There’s apple flavor in Daron, but it’s a caramelized, burnt apple more so than the fresh, tart apple you can sometimes get in cider. The acidity so obvious in new ciders isn’t noticeable in the flavor at all–at least to me. However, at 4.0 pH, there’s clearly some acidity here on an objective basis that I’m not detecting under the alcohol beat-down. The aroma side is more apparent, with rich caramel, leather, and woody/earthy notes in the Daron that I don’t get from Coquerel…most likely from the increased age and the mellowing in oak which the former has but I suspect the latter doesn’t. While I struggle to drink it, I’ve taken advantage of Calvados in another way for some time–as a cooking additive to amp up the apple flavor in dishes like apple pie to a new level.

Go this route and you don’t need to worry about the alcohol, as it evaporates during cooking, leaving just the concentrated flavor. At $20, Daron is pretty reasonable, compared to an $80 single-farm Pays D’Auge producer at the same liquor store. However, a little of this goes a long way, so if your palate is sophisticated enough to tell the difference and to prefer the latter, by all means pursue it because this stuff will last you quite some time and may well bail you out on one of those colder, winter nights… In unrelated news, I should have my cider fermentation tutorial up soon…it won’t be fully comprehensive, as the experiments I’m conducting therein are still not fully concluded, but it’s been too long, there’s a lot to talk about, and it’s time to get that content out there. – Thanks for visiting The Cidersage Blog . If you found this content to be useful, consider subscribing via the Subscribe link in the side bar, and be sure to visit our resources and tutorials pages for more in-depth hard cider and mead information.

Calvados, the apple distillate from Normandy - azureazure.com Calvados: The Apple Brandy from Normandy By J.M. Towers Calvados is a fine liqueur distilled from apple cider; it has a Controlled Denomination of Origin (AOC) and is made exclusively in the region of Normandy, France. It is known as "apple brandy" and is named after the village where it originated, Calvados, in Lower Normandy. Its elaboration requires up to 150 varieties of apples, divided into four categories: sweet, bittersweet, bitter and sour. A good Calvados is the perfect end to a sumptuous meal and should always be served in a round-shaped glass. Pierre Huet Millésime 1935 WINERY: Pierre Huet // AREA: Cambremers, Normandy A millésime makes a difference, because this name is only applied to a wine or liquor that stands out for its rarity and quality. The year of harvest is always clearly indicated. In this case: 1935, an unsurpassed vintage. Pierre Huet Millesime 1935 Calvados shows a clear amber color.

Close to the nose, one can perceive aromas of fresh apple and mineral notes with hints of wild mushrooms. In the mouth, the balance is perfect, with nice bitterness, vibrant acidity and vanilla notes from the barrel. It has a lingering, warm and very pleasant finish. Coeur de Lion VSOP WINERY: Christian Drouin // AREA: Pays D'Auge, Normandy The Christian Drouin winery created the excellent brand Coeur de Lion, in honor of Richard Coeur de Lion, Duke of Normandy. The VSOP (Very Special Old Pale) is the flagship product of the distillery and is made from different vintages from the best vineyards of Calvados, aged in French oak barrels. It has a pale golden color with enticing aromas of fruit, flowers and spices. It has complex flavor, with personality and a lingering and mild end in the mouth.

Père Magloire XO WINERY: Père Magloire // AREA: Pont-l'Evèque, Normandy The master winemakers at Père Magloire have been using the knowledge and experience accumulated since 1821 in the production of this magnificent Calvados, which is the result of exceptional apple harvests and the unique double distillation of ciders. Its color is amber, with a subtle apple scent and a remarkable aromatic persistence, thanks to the intimate interaction between maturing time and the wood of the French oak barrels. Extra Boulard WINERY: Boulard // AREA: Coquainvilliers, Normandy This superb Calvados is made with the selection of the oldest and most exclusive vintages of Boulard. Its color is amber with gold sparkles, and it boasts faint, delicate and refined aromas of white fruits and sweet apples with a delightful finish of prominent floral notes. Its unique and persistent flavor of fruits and flowers—such as violets—remains in the mouth long after being consumed, making it a uniquely remarkable product.

■ More on this topic Normandy Cider, Pommeau and Calvados - Normandy Farmhouses Normandy Cider, Pommeau and Calvados Home /Normandy Cider, Pommeau and Calvados Normandy Cider, Pommeau and Calvados For a true taste of Normandy, you may like to try some of the alcoholic drinks created from over 200 varieties of apples, grown in every farm in the region. Not only can you often watch the apples being sorted, steeped and pressed in the sheds, but also you can taste and even buy the products that have been fermented and distilled, from cellar door sales. The following are the most popular alcoholic drinks connected with the Normandy region and vary according to the soil, fruit and distillation method: Cidre Cidre (Cider) is an apple wine fermented from apple juice which originated in the C6th and had become mass produced in Normandy by the C15th with an improvement in pressing techniques. It has a powerful aroma and fresh fruity taste. POIRE (Perry, also known as “Normandy champagne”) is a similar drink made from pears.

Calvados Calvados (apple brandy) was named after a rock in Arromanches and became popular as an aperitif in the C16th. It is produced by distilling dry fermented cider into “eau de vie” which is then aged in oak casks for a minimum of two years. A single distillation in a column still, gives a simple brandy and double distillation using an alembic pot still, creates a more complex drink. Pommeau Pommeau is a popular aperitif often served with blue cheese or melon and is created by blending unfermented apple juice with apple brandy and then stored for 30+ months in an oak barrel. The mutage (or mixing) is supposed to be distinct to each Normandy farm. Benedictine Benedictine (a herbal liqueur) was created at the Benedictine monastery of Fecamp in Normandy and contains a unique and secret blend of 27 aromatic plants and spices. It is distilled and aged in an oak barrel for a minimum of two years.

At the heart of the Pays d’Auge is the “Route de Cidre” a 40km signposted circular route, where you can visit many of the picturesque half-timbered farms that create and sell these apple-based drinks. Some of the attractive villages included in the route are: Cambremer, Victot-Pontfol, Beauvion-en-Auge, Beaufour-Druval, Bonnebosqr, La Roque-Baignard, St Ouen-le-Pin and Rumesnil. On many farms in the area, you may well see a stone horse-drawn circular cider press, that is no longer in modern use, but which has been converted into an attractive garden feature. Calvados - French Apple Brandy, Whats Cooking America Questions and Answers – Calvados (French Apple Brandy) Question: I am making a caramelized apple dessert. The sauce that will be boiled and poured over the top consists of maple syrup and 2 teaspoons Calvados. I need to know what Calvados is and where to buy it. Any ideas? Answer: Calvados is a French Apple Brandy, kind of a cider spirit, from Normandy, France.

It is a full proof, barrel-aged spirit made from fermented and distilled apples. It is considered a sipping brandy, but it is also used in cooking. An ancient tradition in Normandy is to serve this as a digestive in the middle of the meal. Aged cider is double distilled as in cognac and aged a minimum of two to three years. Though it may carry a vintage, sometimes it is blended with older Calvados in the aging process. Brandy Reviews – Margaret Swaine Brandy Reviews Brandy Technically a grape based spirit, the term brandy is used more generally to include any fruit distillate. Still the best known come from grapes and are made pretty much wherever vines grow. Cognac is named after the town in southwestern France where the spirit is aged. The grapes come from designated vineyard districts that encircle the town. To earn its appellation, cognac must be distilled twice in copper pots and aged in French oak casks. To be called Fine Champagne the cognac must be solely from the prestigious Grande and Petite Champagne districts, so named because of their particular chalky soils with at least half from the Grande.

The bottling of single distillery cognac, vintage dated cognac and the making of fuller spicier cognacs geared to match with cigars are more recent twists. To appeal to GenX, some producers are selling cognac mixed with fruit juices. (Remy Red from Remy Martin and Alizé are such products.) Others are using cognac as a base for fine liqueurs. Though the ten big cognac houses make an estimated 95 percent of the product sold, there has been a movement by small fry since the 1980’s to sell under their own label. About 400 growers/distillers now sell their own branded cognacs. Armagnac, another French grape brandy, comes from Gascony, a region southwest of Bordeaux. Armagnac is generally distilled only once from white grapes at low temperatures to preserve the fruit character. Some firms have reintroduced pot stills and double distill part of the grape juice in the cognac fashion blending the brandies later to unite vigor with finesse. The spirit is then aged in casks of Gascon oak.

In the past it could be said cognacs have elegance and balance from double distillation, while armagnacs have body and fruity flavour, but these definitions are less obvious today. Brandy made from must or pomace – the skins and pips left after the grapes have been crushed to make wine – goes by various names. For example in Italy it’s known as grappa, in France marc and in Portugal bagaceira. Grappa has enjoyed a renaissance in recent years; many are ultra-smooth and sold in collectable hand-blown-glass art bottles. Other developments in grappa include the use of single varietal grapes, the use of whole grapes instead of the pomace and the addition of flourishes such as gold flakes in Oro di Mazzetti. Brandy from other fruits (such as raspberry, pear and plum) is known technically as eau-de-vie. But we tend to know these brandies better by the names of their different fruit, in the language of their origins. Kirsch, for example, means cherry in German while poire williams is the French name for a Bartlett pear. Calvados is apple brandy from Normandy, distilled twice and aged in oak.

The best of these have the appellation Calvados du Pays d’Auge. Bottega Alexander Society Grappa 2001 ****½ 591602 $29.95/700mL Italy Marc of pinot, tocai, veruzzo and prosecco. Crystal clear colourless with a pretty, aromatic perfumed bouquet of hay and raisons. Delicate, clean grappa flavours of hay, straw, raisony grapes. Great stylish purity. Remy Martin XO Excellence **** 583468 $184.90. Cognac, France Composed of more than 300 eaux-de-vie, each with their own special character from maturing in oak. High proportion from Grande Champagne the rest Petite with an average age over 20 years. Quite forward masculine nose of leather, fragrant spices, figs and almonds. Refined and velvety smooth with nutty, fruity, caramel complexities. Long lingering finish.

Martell Cordon Bleu “Old Classic” **** 55145 $149.95 Cognac, France Company dates to 1715 and is distinguished by its use of Borderies, the smallest of the cognac districts. Rare, old eaux-de-vies a dark bronzed gold. Layered, deep and complex with satisfying warmth. Notes of tobacco, cinnamon, dried fruits in the nose. Intriguing flavours of nuts, old wood with a full body and long mellow finish. Hine Antique **** 145466 $129.95, Cognac France Delicious, stately Fine Champagne cognac. Bronze tinged gold. Great leathery, rancio (aged) bouquet with nuts and truffles. Elegant with a rich warmth and nutty, vanilla, dried fruits taste. Lengthy finish. Hine Rare & Delicate Cognac**** 356857 $75.55 Cognac, France Blend of 30 cognacs from Grande Champagne and Petite Champagne, the youngest being V.S.O.P level. Bronzed gold, very refined, smooth and elegant.

Pretty, aromatic floral spiced nose, gentle, mellow warmth with feminine finesse and a long honeyed finish. Otard VSOP **** 36855 $62.90 Cognac, France The firm took over the chateau in the town of Cognac in 1785, aging their spirits within the same walls where King François 1er was born in 1494. Light bronzed amber from eight years cask aging. Ripe fig, wood, vaguely leathery floral bouquet. Honeyed, silky at first on the palate, followed by a firm full-bodied grip and long finish. Tastes of sweet tobacco and pear. Chabasse VSOP **** 632686 $60. /700mL Cognac France Fruity Fins Bois combined with floral Champagnes districts. Deep bronzed gold. Floral, spice chest bouquet with deep fruity notes. Sweet, ultra smooth toffee tastes. Crème brulée finish. Remy Martin VS Petite Champagne **** 20412 $49.95, Cognac France Light bronzed amber.

All Petite Champagne with a pretty, honeyed, cloves and fruit bouquet. Nicely balanced and charming with a delicacy, followed by a firm hold. Samalens VSOP Bas Armagnac **** 110668 $46.85 Armagnac, France Firm founded in 1882 in Laujuzan has four generations of family tradition. Mainly continuous distillation in Armagnac alembic with 30 per cent double distilled in Charente (cognac) alembic stills. Matures eight years in 400 litre Gascon oak. Spiced, hearty prune and raw almond bouquet. Robust, rounded, smooth on the palate with a fruity sweetness. Sarpa di Poli Grappa **** 982264 $44.95/700mL Italy Family distillery founded in 1898 in Schiavon. Distilled in ancient copper alembic stills from sixty percent merlot pomace, the rest from cabernet. Forward aromatic nose. Perfumed flowery classy marc taste. Gentle, smooth on the palate with a rounded finish.

Grand Solage Boulard Calvados Pays d’Auge**** 296228 $39.80 Normandy, France Double distilled in copper stills over an open flame, from up to 120 different apple varieties, then matured in oak. Bronzed amber, lovely cider nose, mellow balanced cider taste with hints of vanilla. Smooth and clean with depth and lingering apple character. Palate cleansing and upfiting like a true “trou Normand” – the classic inter-meal intermezzo in that part of France. Armagnac de Montal VSOP **** 618496 $48. Armagnac, France Blend of armagnacs the youngest being five years matured in oak. Orange/amber brown with a bouquet of almond pits, plum, caramel and vanilla. Rounded, nicely satisfying with a mellow, lingering woodsy, oak vanilla, nutty prune taste. Stara Sokolova Old Falcon’s Plum Brandy **** 576355 $27.95, Serbia Triple distilled at the Bagdanovic estate, established in 1897.

In the watershed of the Drina River, known as Falcon’s region where the climate is considered ideal for growing plums. Aged seven years in oak, it is pale gold in colour with a perfumy plum bouquet. The taste is gently honeyed plums and almonds with a smooth finish. Bottega Club Grappa **** 478156 $29.85 Italy Distillate of the pomace of prosecco, pinot, tocai and verazzo grapes. Crystal clear colour, flowery hay aromatics. Perfumed, feminine and pretty; the flavours of the skins and pips enveloped in a soft balanced body. Duff Gordon Ten Stars **** 16022 $20.45 Spain Aged in American oak barrels in the time honoured solera system. Dark bronze. Nutmeg and allspice adds to the sherry like background. Intriguing layers of vanilla and coconut from the oak, dense and sweet. Some tarry, charred oloroso rubbery notes in the nose. Overall nice encompassing warmth. Ibis X.O.

Brandy **** 543561 $21.30, France From Larsen, an independent family owned cognac firm, whose house was founded in 1886. Aged in oak barrels a minimum of fine years; it’s bright golden amber with a lively, aromatic, fruity pear bouquet. Feminine delicacy in the smooth taste of sweet baked toffee apple with a rich mellow fresh apple finish. Cheminaud Frères Fine Brandy **** 4440 $20.75, France A successful combo of mainly French brandy enhanced with those of Spain, Hungary and California. Bronzed amber. Apple, sweet fruits nose. Very smooth, quite full bodied with caramel and rich notes of its Spanish addition. Pleasant all-round. Henessey Paradis Extra ***½ 208298 $379.95, Cognac France Hundreds of mature cognacs watched over by successive generations of cellar masters go into this blend. Leathery, cloves, mature oak and a rancio of age that’s typical of old spirits. Harmonious, long lingering flavours. Hennessy X.O.

***½ 61440 $184.95 Cognac, France Over 100 eaux-de-vie from the four premier cognac sites, many aged 30 to 35 years and some since the early 1900’s. Dark bronze. Sweet vanilla, mushroom, oak and leather perfumed nose. Velvety rich, full bodied and mellow with mocha, milk chocolate – toffee, coffee – tastes. Some gripping spiciness and leathery aged effect. Gautier Gold and Blue XO Cognac ***½ 573287 $130.55, Cognac, France Most Cognac Houses are situated by a river, but Gautier’s cellar in a former watermill, actually straddles one. Cool damp air helps the spirit age slowly and smoothly. A blend of Fins Bois and Fine Champagne, some as old as 35. Fragrant spice and caramel bouquet. Velvety on the palate, almost like sipping a crème brulée, with complexities of spice, leather and hints of mushroom.

Chabasse XO ***½ 576413 $126.10/700mL, Cognac France House founded in 1818. Petite Champagne and Fins Bois combo with a bronzed gold colour. Lively spicy, old wood, leathery bouquet. Spice, silky smooth, honeyed hazelnut taste. Sweet warmth in the finish. Seductive character. Lhérault Cuvée 20 Cognac ***½ 943696 $115.50, Cognac, France Unique single barrel, unblended cognac, all from the family vineyard in Petite Champagne, aged 20 years in oak. While it matured the angels took one third of it, resulting in an impressive concentration. Bouquet of fruit, spice and oak. Rich, mellow old wood depth. Lovely supple power and length, quite classic. Hennessy VSOP ***½ 43703 $69.95 Cognac, France Over 60 eaux-de-vie from the four premier cognac districts.

Deep bronzed amber colour with a toffee, old oak and clove nose. Velvety, rich and supple-smooth with a spiced vanilla pudding taste. Marnier VSOP ***½ 67694 $61.50, Cognac France Fine Champagne, bronzed gold in colour. Spirited fragrant, minerally, fruity bouquet. Has finesse, full body and a rich caramel overlay. Silky finish. Pleasant power and balance showing maturity with an average of six to 12 year olds in its blend. Hennessey VS ***½ 8284 $49.95 Cognac, France Over 40 eaux-de-vie from the four premium sites. Sprightly, fruity pear, floral nose. Sweetly honeyed mellow, vanilla taste and finish. Grappa Ginepro del Trentino ***½ 913772 $44./700mL, Italy Bertagnolli family firm founded in 1870. Bottle contains a juniper branch harvested from the forests of Trentino flavouring the grappa and giving it a pale greenish yellow hue.

Smooth, soft with the delicate aroma and taste of fragrant pine-like juniper. Great digestive. Janneau Grand Armagnac V.S. ***½ 473785 $36.35 Armagnac France Founded in 1851, fifth generation Etienne Janneau is in charge now. Distilled in continuous and pot stills from local grapes ugni blanc, colombard, folle blanche and others from Bas Armagnac and Ténarèze district. Own cooperage on site to make their 450 litre Gascon oak barrels for aging. Golden amber, floral, spirited nose with hints of prune. Hearty, honeyed prune taste with a slight bite in the finish. Oro di Mazzetti ***½ 576090 $33.95/500mL Italy A sweetened grappa with 23K gold flakes in it, a shake of the bottle creates a golden flurry. Flakes stay suspended in the dense but clear liquid decorating each pour with their glitter. Distilled from aromatic muscat grape must, it has scents and tastes of sweet fruity grapes and rose petals with a distinct grappa backbone.

Lovely to look at and sweet to drink. Asbach Urhalt Brandy ***½ 21089 $30.10 Germany Made since 1892, double distilled then matured in Limousin oak. Light fruity caramel bouquet with a slight touch of rubber. Rounded, sweet caramel gentleness on the palate. Quite smooth with fine finesse. Maciera Royal Brandy ***½ 82537 $25.70 Portugal Distilled from native Portuguese grapes and aged about five years in oak. Hearty old world style. Very mushroomy, spicy old wood nose. Coarse but spicy-sweet with rustic warmth. Sweet toffee finish. Faled Grappa Stravecchia ***½ 891879 $21.95 Italy Distilled from pomace of cabernet sauvignon and lambrusco aged in stainless at Roccabianca Castle for a minimum of 18 months. Colourless with lightly dried grass, flowery aromas just slightly raunchy. Smooth, fruity, pomace flavour with good texture in the mouth.

Dujardin VSOP Brandy ***½ 10512 $20.25 Germany Company founded in 1743 in Germany. Successors formed a joint company with French suppliers. Hence from selected French wines, imported into Germany for distillation. Delicate, gently caramel, lightly vanilla character that’s silky and pretty. Marquis de Villard VSOP Brandy ***½ 14944 $20.45 France Cellars established in 1852. Distilled in copper pot stills using French grapes (carignan, grenache, cabernet, merlot, Saint Emilion) then aged in Limousin oak. Bronzed gold colour, it has a deep ripe pear nose and sweet richly caramel taste that’s very mellow. Vanilla finish with hints of spice. Aguardente Bagaceira Paraiso ***½ 896969 $20.75 Portugal Clear and colourless, from the Bairrada region, it has the typical nose of marc – aromatic with hay and slight spiciness that follows through in the taste. Silky smooth with clean purity.

Schloss Kirsch ***½ 43018 $20.25/375mL Austria Colourless, clear and dry (non sweetened) distillate of cherries. Lightly cherry aroma and gentle cherry taste. Perfect for dousing a Black Forest cake or making a “coffee kirsch”. Clean fresh and silky in the mouth. St.-Remy Brandy ***½ A simple, smooth, easy to sip brandy with some caramel fruitiness in bouquet and taste. Raynal Brandy ***½ 107169 $20.25 France Firm founded in Jarnac in 1840. Blend of over 20 French eaux-de-vie matured in French oak. Bronzed gold. Slightly spiced brandy nose. Smooth, quite full bodied with a mellow butterscotch taste and somewhat spirited finish. Winkelhausen Weinbrand Brandy ***½ 542563 $19.85/700mL, Germany Distillery dates to 1846. Aged three years in oak. Deep bronze amber with a smooth, mild, creamy caramel candy taste. Slightly lower alcohol (36%).

Mazzetti Altavilla Grappa di Chardonnay *** 576421 $25.15/500mL, Italy Chardonnay pomace from Piedmont processed in small batches in copper pot stills. Colourless, perfumed violets, candied maraschino cherry bouquet vaguely raunchy. Decent, smooth, medium bodied taste. Remy Martin VSOP Fine Champagne *** 4101 $74.90, Cognac France Grande and Petite Champagne crus aged in Limousin oak. Minimum four years maturity up to 12. Bronzed gold. Slightly bold masculine aspects. Oaky vanilla notes and lingering power and bite. Aliança Velha *** 554626 $28.95, Portugal Deep bronzed gold. Old wood, mushroom spiced bouquet. Salty, sweet old wood taste. Interesting unique flavours, rustic but defined in character. Cortel V.S.O.P. Napoleon Brandy *** 287409 $20.25 France Aged in wood casks.

Bronzed amber in colour with a slightly old woody, caramel nose and a pleasant, smooth, non-descript caramel brandy taste. Quite full bodied soft with a sweet finish. De Valcourt Napoleon VSOP *** 10801 $20.25, France Column still made from French grapes, aged in oak. Bronzed gold. Simple but supple and silky smooth sweet brandy taste and finish. Berentzen Apfelkorn Schnapps *** 323055 $18.60, Germany Kosher product of wheat spirit and apple juice. Lots of fresh squeezed apples in the nose. Liquid apple pie in the mouth with cinnamon, nutmeg and spice finish. Get hit in the snifter with a Norman apple brandy - SFGate Get hit in the snifter with a Norman apple brandy W. Blake Gray, Special to The Chronicle Published 4:00 am, Thursday, April 1, 2004 Considering French people's pride in their native products, it's remarkable that one of their best digestifs is named after a Spanish warship.

Calvados takes its name from El Calvador, which ran aground in Normandy during the war between the Spanish and English in 1588. The first written reference to the aged apple brandy was only a few decades earlier, so it was a spirit in need of a name. Because windswept Norman farms are too cold to grow grapes, farmers looked for another kind of fruit to ferment into alcohol, as a French dinner without alcohol is like a cake without sugar. "They say there's 800 varieties of apples there," says San Francisco spirits importer Charles Neal , who's working on a book about Calvados. The area's chalky, poor-quality soils limit the apple trees' growth, performing the same function of concentrating flavor that the dusty soils of Rutherford do for Cabernet Sauvignon grapes. Cattle farming is the specialty of the region, which is famous for butter and cheeses that include Camembert and Pont l'Eveque. Normandy's rich, creamy cuisine creates the need for a fat-cutting digestif. Calvados is comparable to Cognacs and Armagnacs in its smoothness and complexity, but it offers something other digestifs can't -- the distinct flavor of apple.

"Calvados is about the best digestif there is," says Anthony Dias Blue , wine and spirits editor for Bon Appetit magazine. and organizer of the recent San Francisco World Spirits Competition. "The Normans take a shot in the middle of the meal. It's like Liquid-Plumr." But mostly it's savored at the end of a fine meal, although Neal laments that most American restaurants don't encourage this. "When you think of a restaurant that's very traditional in class, they have one seating a night," Neal says. "There's a time for people to have something from a selection of digestifs. But now restaurants want to turn the table. They don't want people sitting around with a glass of Calvados for an hour. I tend to drink more Calvados when I'm watching a video." By French law, Calvados is produced only in Normandy; everything else is apple brandy. It's made from cider, which the Normans usually drink in place of wine with their meals. And though it is mostly made from apples, it can also include pears.

There are three appellations -- Pays d'Auge, which is generally the most prestigious; Calvados, the largest; and the southernmost appellation, Domfrontais, where pears must make up at least 30 percent of the cider used to produce the final product. Apples are picked from September to December and set in open wooden boxes to ripen and dry for a month or so. Most Calvados distilleries mash their apples in January. The juice naturally ferments into cider over several months. The Pays d'Auge appellation requires a traditional two-stage distillation. The spirit emerges from this process colorless and tasting harshly of alcohol. It is aged in white oak barrels from Limousin, many of which are former sherry or port casks. While vintage bottlings were once common, the industry is moving toward general age designations like 10-year or 15-year, in which the youngest spirit included must be at least as old as the age listed. Most of the Calvados available in the United States is from large producers, but in Normandy the industry is mostly represented by small family farmers, who often also make cider and keep cows. Some make just a few cases a year.

At the other end, Calvados Boulard claims to use 120 varieties of apples from 35,000 company-owned trees. Like most spirits, Calvados improves with time in the barrel but not the bottle. The longer it spends in wood, the more expensive it gets. Expensive ones can rival fine Cognacs in price and any Calvados under $30 is probably not worth buying. However, you don't have to spend $100 to get a good bottle. In fact, if you're not familiar with Calvados, don't spend too much, because the younger ones have stronger fruit. With age, the flavors of the oak naturally come to the forefront. This is not always true, however At the San Francisco World Spirits Competition, I had the opportunity to taste from a $325 bottle of 1963 Christian Drouin Coeur de Lion Calvados, which won a double gold medal. The flavors of rich roasted apples expanded in my mouth, along with accents of walnut and tobacco, through a lingering, sweet finish. "Show me a wine that retains its fruit 41 years," says Blue.

"Not only is it delicious, it could be 41 years old and still bursting with fruit." That vintage, along with others dating back to 1953, are available at D&M Wine & Liquor Co. in San Francisco, which is probably the best place in the Bay Area to shop for Calvados. Store manager Mark Mitchell says it's hard to say which vintage is best, in part because apples don't vary by year as much as wine grapes. "Usually the older vintages go to people for whom that year has a special meaning," Mitchell says. When people ask Mitchell for an entry-level Calvados, he often recommends either Lemorton Reserve, which sells for $39, or 18-year- old Berneroy, relatively cheap at $47. "Berneroy is a negociant, not a producer," Mitchell says. "He buys Calvados from all over the region. It's not as expensive and it's not as designer.

It's a good place to find out if you like Calvados at all." I recommend shelling out $60 for the 6-year-old Adrien Camut Pays d'Auge, which has bright apple flavors in which the diversity of apples used can be detected, with notes of both sweetness and greenness. In the same price range, the 15-year-old Lecompte Pays d'Auge ($70) offers a different, though also fine, experience. The aroma is dominated by caramel with a hint of vanilla and almost no apple, but the fruit comes out in the initial taste, blending with caramel and hints of sherry through a long, complex finish. For something cheaper, the 5-year-old Lecompte Pays d'Auge ($30) bursts with Golden Delicious apple flavor and has a nice medium length and finish with hints of caramel and vanilla. Unfortunately, Lecompte currently has no Northern California distributor. Pear lovers might enjoy the 1976 Lemorton Domfrontais, a relative bargain at $90 at Mollie Stone 's in Greenbrae (Marin County). Oak dominates the delicate pear flavor, but the latter stays on the front of the tongue throughout the particularly long finish.

For Francophobes, there's an American version produced in Oregon. Made of Clear Creek Distillery owner Steve McCarthy 's surplus Golden Delicious apples and aged eight years in oak barrels, this apple brandy is simpler and sweeter than the French, leaving a lingering taste like an apple LifeSavers. Widely available at $35, it holds its own against most entry-level Calvados. "With my pear brandy, (French people) are extremely generous," McCarthy says of those who hold Calvados to a higher standard than pear brandy. "With the apple, they get their back up. There's a great deal of pride in their Calvados." After savoring a good one, in a brandy snifter and preferably in front of a roaring fire, you'll understand why. The apple of Normandy's eye More than 800 apple varieties are grown in the Normandy region of northern France and are used to produce the brandy known as Calvados. Often served as a digestif -- Normans drink a shot of it in the middle of a meal - - Calvados is also enjoyable after dinner for its pure, distinctive apple flavor. Pears also can be used in Calvados production.

Latest from the SFGATE homepage: Click below for the top news from around the Bay Area and beyond. Sign up for our newsletters to be the first to learn about breaking news and more. Go to 'Sign In' and 'Manage Profile' at the top of the page. Normandy Tour Calvados Villages, Camembert, Liverot, Brandy Cheese Cider • BACK to All Tours » VILLAGES OF CALVADOS – 9 Hours A Normandy Tour: Cider, Calvados brandy and Cheeses with cheeses named after the villages that produce them – Camembert, Liverot, and Pont l’Eveque Departure Points: Bayeux Calvados Villages of Normandy Tour Includes: Your Normandy Tour includes Private transportation, guide service, taxes, tolls, parking; cost of tasting cheese, cider and calvados brandy. Your private Normandy tour of the Calvados villages begins with a visit to the seaside resort Cabourg, known for its long sandy beach, casino and racetrack. Author Marcel Proust was a frequent guest in the town’s Grand Hotel when it opened in the early 1900s.

You’ll have a brief tour of the city center here before continuing on to Beuvron-en-Auge. Beuvron’s villagers take pride in keeping up their architectural heritage: multi-colored, half-timbered homes best exemplified by the 16th century Vieux Manoir in the village’s oval shaped square. Your Normandy tour guide will take you on a short walking tour of the town center. The next stop of your Normandy tour will be Lisieux, home to a Carmel monastery where St. Therese spent many years in pious retreat. Lisieux and its gorgeous basilica, which you will visit, receives more than two million pilgrims a year. The last stop of your Normandy tour will be to Liverot, a cheese- and brandy-making village famous for its namesake cheese. The soft, pungent cheese is nicknamed the Colonel as it has five stripes around it. You will enjoy a cheese-making demonstration and tasting here. Your final stop will be to a Calvados distillery, where you will learn how the region’s famous apple brandy is made, and sample the spirits of Calvados.

Calvados Tour - Calvados Villages in Normandy NORMANDY : VILLAGES OF CALVADOS TOUR – 12 Hours PRIVATE NORMANDY TOUR FROM PARIS & NORMANDY AREA Calvados Tour – Normandy Private Tours by Well Arranged Travel Cider, Calvados brandy and Cheeses with cheeses named after the villages that produce them – Camembert, Livarot, and Pont l’Eveque Departure Points: Paris or Normandy area Calvados Villages Tour in Normandy Includes: Private transportation, guide service, taxes, tolls, parking; cost of tasting cheese, cider and calvados brandy. CALVADOS TOUR – PRIVATE NORMANDY TOUR Our private Calvados tour of the villages begin with a visit to Beuvron-en-Auge. Beuvron’s villagers take pride in keeping up their architectural heritage: multi-colored, half-timbered homes best exemplified by the 16th century Vieux Manoir in the village’s oval shaped square. Your Normandy tour guide will take you on a short walking tour of the town center.

The next stop of our private Normandy tour from Paris is Lisieux, home to a Carmel monastery where St. Therese spent many years in pious retreat. Lisieux and its gorgeous basilica, which you will visit, receives more than two million pilgrims a year. The last stop of your private Calvados tour will be to Livarot , a cheese and brandy-making village famous for its namesake cheese. The soft, pungent cheese is nicknamed the Colonel as it has five stripes around it. You will enjoy a cheese-making demonstration and tasting here. Your final stop will be to a Calvados distillery, where you will learn how the region’s famous apple brandy is made, and sample the spirits of Calvados. Daron Calvados Fine, Pays d'Auge Brandy. - Calvados - Brandy - Spirits / Liquors Daron Calvados Fine, Pays d'Auge Brandy. Daron Calvados Fine, Pays d'Auge Brandy.

Buy 6 for $52.53 each and save 5% Buy 12 for $50.43 each and save 8% Qty: | Add to Compare Quick Overview This is distilled from the first press juice, and using very small pot stills. Several varieties of Normandy grown apples are used in Daron Calvados Fine Pays d'Auge, combining bitter and bittersweet varieties. The cider is then slowly distilled in copper pot stills, and the eau-de-vie aged in Limousin oak casks. The result is a surprisingly fresh, fragrant, and gentle spirit with bright flavors of apple, pear, and vanilla. Double click on above image to view full picture More Views Details Daron Fine Calvados is a delicious Calvados produced by the Daron company, made by the fifth generation family distiller. Named after the department in France where it’s made, Calvados is responsible for some of the World’s finest apple brandy. Like Cognac, there are several grades that reflect different levels of age and quality. Daron Calvados Fine is aged for a minimum of two years but generally ages for much longer.

Young Calvados will have fresh and crisp fruit however as Calvados ages it gains more depth and concentration, developing notes of baked apple and stone fruit. Nose:

Question: Which apple brandy is named after a district in Normandy?
Answer: CALVADOS